PQC webinar on current state of transition and strategic challenges

2 March 2026

The threat posed by future quantum computers to traditional public key cryptography makes the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) a key strategic task. As part of the Trust in Digital Life (TDL) initiative, international experts, including Prof. Dr. Daniel Slamanig from the Research Institute CODE, discussed the current state of research, progress in standardization, and the practical challenges of implementation in two webinars in October 2025 and January 2026. Moderated by Claire Vishik, the webinars highlighted both the technical and organizational dimensions of the upcoming transition.

The first workshop looked back at how PQC has developed since its beginnings in the 1990s and highlighted the unique situation of the current transition: for the first time, a fundamental cryptographic paradigm shift is happening preventively and not as a reaction to a security breach that's already happened. Even though standardization processes are pretty far along, the main challenge is integrating quantum-safe algorithms into existing systems. Discussions focused in particular on issues of performance, interoperability, and so-called “crypto-agility,” i.e., the ability to flexibly exchange cryptographic methods.

The second webinar explored these aspects in greater depth with a view on the coming years, focusing on standardization processes, implementation strategies, and geopolitical differences. It became clear that algorithmic standards alone are not sufficient: the development of compatible protocols, the adaptation of historically grown IT infrastructures, and the systematic recording of cryptographic dependencies pose considerable challenges for organizations. Added to this are issues of financing, the shortage of skilled workers, and the different national strategies for dealing with the PQC transition.

Both webinars showed that post-quantum cryptography isn't just an academic topic anymore, but has started a big change in digital security infrastructure. To make this change work, we need research, industry, and standardization committees to work together and have a long-term plan.

The recordings of the two webinars and detailed summaries on Substack offer in-depth insights into the discussions:

• Webinar 10/25 (external link): https://david275.substack.com/p/post-quantum-cryptography
• Webinar 01/26 (external link): https://david275.substack.com/p/post-quantum-cryptography-and-related

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